What if you could fire up your metabolism simply by adding certain spices to your diet? It turns out, you can! It’s not a free license to eat anything, but some spices can help keep your metabolism younger and help keep perimenopausal weight off. Supercharge your metabolism with these 11 spices (and some bonus herbs and foods)!
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#1 | Turmeric
Turmeric’s golden color gives a hint as to how valuable it is. It contains a chemical compound called Curcumin, which has been shown to increase metabolic rate, as this study shows. Your metabolic rate is the rate of calories you burn when you’re not doing anything. The higher that rate, the more your daily life works to keep you slim. Just in case that’s not enough, curcumin has also been shown to lower inflammation, which will help prevent diabetes. It also helps high blood pressure by lowering LDL cholesterol and can help ease digestion. Turmeric has an earthy and peppery flavor and can take some getting used to. I add ½ Tablespoon to my green smoothies. It gives the green some punch.
#2 | Cinnamon
Interestingly, our body does not process cinnamon the same way it processes other spices. It is harder to digest, and it takes longer. This is how it helps. By being more difficult to process, your body uses more energy to break it down, helping to keep your metabolism high. Cinnamon has also been linked to reducing belly fat. The oil in the spice kick starts a process called thermogenesis. This process burns fat instead of other fuel, so your body composition starts to change. Eating a little bit regularly adds up, and gives your body the overall effects.
#3 | Cayenne Pepper
The spice in peppers, called capsaicin, increases your body temperature. Your body wants you to stay at a comfortable temperature, just like when you work out. So, it starts to cool you down. You may even sweat. Cooling down isn’t easy though, and your body needs to use more energy (calories) to do it. Also, some scientists are looking into the idea that capsaicin helps with inflammation and gastrointestinal issues, according to Healthline.com.
#4 | Cumin
Cumin is another anti-inflammatory spice. A side effect of lowering inflammation is that your digestion improves. Improved digestion supports a healthy metabolism. Cumin also does some other amazing things. It targets free-radicals, so it helps pull toxins out of your body. It can also decrease LDL cholesterol and may inhibit fat cells from developing. And, cumin is full of vitamins B and E, potassium, magnesium, and iron. Yep. It has all of that.
#5 | Ginger
It’s no secret that ginger is a miracle. If our grandmothers were telling us to use it as often as they did, it must be good for us, right? Ginger has gingerol which can help with nausea, digestion, inflammation, general pain, and maybe even stop cancer from growing.
This super-spice (that was my Spice Girls name;)) helps your metabolism by making you feel full longer. Adding it to your midday smoothie can keep you from snacking on sugary treats before dinner. Combined with the greens and turmeric, ginger really takes your smoothie to another level.
#6 | Cardamom
Cardamom, also called elaichi, has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. It has diuretic properties and helps pull toxins from the body. As toxins are reduced, digestion and metabolism improve. Cardamom also has antioxidants and antibiotic properties. It has been known to ease indigestion and constipation too. It has a fruiter, almost sweet, flavor. Many add it to tea.
#7 | Rosemary
Rosemary is high in manganese, which is important for metabolic health. It’s also an antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial. This all means it can help fight infections and other diseases and reduce stress. It also contains carnosic acid, which can help prevent diabetes, according to this study. Adding rosemary to rice, fish, bread, or even grilled cheese (like the Greek Haloumi) are easy and delicious ways to use it.
#8 | Black Pepper
The active compound in black pepper is alkaloid piperine. Like its cousin capsaicin, piperine supports your metabolism by raising your overall body temperature. As a bonus, black pepper also helps extrude other nutrients from food. More of those nutrients make it into your system, which will support your overall health.
#9 | Cloves
The antioxidants in cloves help keep away infection. They can also help destroy bacteria. This is great, but cloves also boost your metabolic rate all by themselves. Simply by consuming cloves, your body works to increase your metabolism. Oh, and the chemical properties support liver health and decrease blood sugar.
#10 | Nutmeg
Nutmeg is another spice that supports a supercharged metabolism by eliminating toxins from the body. The toxins leave, and your body functions more correctly. Nutmeg contains a lot of fiber too, which helps control overeating.
#11 | Mustard Seed
Like cinnamon, mustard seed is also hard to digest. The extra work your body needs to do in order to process it means your metabolism gets a turbo boost. Mustard seed also is chock-full of fiber, which will help keep you satiated longer.
14 additional foods and drinks that can supercharge your metabolism
Garlic * Cacao * Seaweed * Green Tea * Salmon * Coconut * Citrus * Berries *Seeds * Nuts * Dandelions * Coffee * Tea * Water
Supercharging your metabolism doesn’t need to be tricky. Just try adding some spices that help boost it by increasing caloric burn, removing toxins, or improving your overall health. Do you have any unique uses for these spices that you can share? What spices are you excited to try? Let me know in the comments.
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